In 2256, Michael Burnham saw a Preserver obelisk while first experiencing the effects of the USS Discovery spore drive. (DIS: "Context Is for Kings") In 2268, Captain Kirk of the USS Enterprise inadvertently hit on the tonal combination that opened the access hatch atop the base. As he was standing on the hatch at the time, this pitched him down the stairs into the base. Stunned, he attempted to regain his footing but succeeded only in incorrectly triggering a memory beam designed to instruct a user in the operation of the machinery contained within the obelisk - a powerful asteroid deflector. This robbed him of his memory. Because no other member of the landing party saw this accident or could discover their captain's whereabouts, they were forced to leave him on Amerind for several month